Homecoming
by Phoenix39
Summary: One-shot. Claire is back. How does Charlie react? Where is the baby?


"Homecoming"  
Charlie's POV  
By Phoenix39

**Summary:** One-shot. Claire is back. How does Charlie respond? Where is the baby?

**Disclaimer:** The same as the rest…

**Rated:** PG-13 for mature situations.

**Pairings:** Claire/Charlie

**Spoilers:** Special. Possibly Homecoming.

I know it's not her voice. It can't be. She's gone. Ethan and the "others" have her. It has to be my imagination. I know that I did not just hear Claire's voice. It has to be anxiety from the withdrawal, the stress of her not being here with me, and the fact that I am reading passages from her diary to Jack and Sayid at this very moment.

"Charlie," I hear Locke's voice call my name.

_There,_ I tell myself._ I knew it couldn't be Claire._

I turn my head. Am I hallucinating? Is my withdrawal having a strange side effect on me? I must be dreaming. There is no way that Claire is standing between Locke and Boone a mere ten yards away from me.

"Claire?" I hear Sayid ask.

"Are you okay?" Jack asks as he gets up and walks toward her.

Now I know it's real. If Jack and Sayid see her, then I am really looking at her. My jaw is slightly open in disbelief. She's okay. She's here. She's safe.

I get up and walk toward her. Her face is dirty and beaten. I take a trembling hand and squeeze it to her that I am here for her. It takes me all the strength in me not to jump on her, hug her, kiss her, and tell her I love her. I've tried throwing hints, but she just kept shooting them back. She's not interested. She has enough on her plate for now.

"Are you okay?" I ask her. My voice is trembling. I am really scared for her.

I brush a strand of messy hair behind her ear. She seems to be in a trance. She looks as if she is somewhere else. I want to ask her the obvious, 'Where is the baby?' Her stomach is almost completely flat. Fear I have never felt before rushes through my body. I don't want anything to have happened to the baby. I am truly willing to give my own life for Claire and her baby to alive and well.

"Claire?" Sayid wraps an itchy-looking wool blanket around Claire's shoulders.

"He's gone," she mumbles.

"Who? The baby?" my voice reaches a new level of fear.

Claire merely nods. Tears rush down her cheeks.

"Ethan. He took him. He took my baby." Her sounds as though she doesn't believe it herself.

I wrap an arm around her, letting her know that I am still here. That I will help her find her son.

"Claire," I whisper in her ear. "I will not rest until I have found your son."

She sobs and squeezes her arms me. Yes, I am enjoying her confiding in me. That she is touching me like this. No, I am not enjoying that she is sad. That she is terrified.

"We'll be right back," Locke says as he and Boone leave.

Claire pulls away from me and looks right into my eyes. They are wide and full of fear. As they are also wet and red from her crying.

"It was just like my dream," she whimpers. "The Black Rock."

"Claire," Sayid calls. His voice has the same fear as mine. I think we are all scared for all the same reasons. Claire turns her red and dirty to face him, but she still keeps her arms locked tightly around my body. "Did you recognize anyone else? Other than Ethan?"

"No."

"Was there a woman named Danielle?"

"I don't… know."

"She has long dark hair, she's a bit muscular for a woman, and she speaks French--as well as English."

"No. The only woman was had blonde hair."

"Sayid," I ask. "Do you really think the French woman is connected to Ethan?"

"Somehow. It's just a feeling, but if Claire doesn't remember her, than maybe she was not involved."

I lead Claire over to the fire, where we sit next to each other on the same log. Sayid and Jack follow my lead.

Lock and Boone come with a plate full of Boar meat and bottle of water. Boone hands the food to Claire.

"Thank you," she gasps. She sounds so grateful as if she hasn't been fed in the past week.

She pushes the knife and fork away and just lifts the entire slab of meat to mouth and scarfing it down. She finishes and chugs down the entire bottle of water.

"Do you want more?" Boone asks.

Claire nods. Boone gets up and leaves to retrieve more Boar meat.

"Claire," I turn her head to face mine. "I'm going to go to look for Ethan and your baby."

"No. Wait."

"I'll be okay," I assure her. My voice is more confident than I really am.

"Charlie!" Locke shouts as I get up. "I don't think this is such a good idea. We should wait until morning to go looking."

"Screw you, I'm looking."

In less than a few seconds, I walk up to Locke and swipe his knife out of his pocket.

"Hey, Charlie. Give that back to me."

"No." I look Locke right in the eyes. As much as I trust him, I have to go with my gut and my gut is telling me: _Go now._

"I love you, Claire," I say as I walk away from them, toward the jungle.

"Charlie!" Claire gets up and tags along behind me a few feet. "Don't do this."

"Why not?"

"I love you, too. I lost my baby. I'm not going to loose you too."

"Is the baby still alive or not?"

"I don't know. Ethan has him."

I step toward her, lean in, and kiss her. It is not the way I always thought it will be, but it's something. I don't slip in my tongue, or anything. I just want her to know that I love her. I don't want her to think that I want to have sex with her. I turn around toward the jungle.

"Stay right here," I say over my shoulder.

"Charlie, I am begging. _Please_. Let's wait until morning."

"Yeah…" I cave in. "You're probably right. You need some rest."

I hand the knife back to Locke and I sit next to Claire, my arm around her waist, waiting for the sun to come up.

We are going to find the boy, kill Ethan, and start our life together. We are going to be happy. We are going to be a family together. Me, Claire, and Baby Boy.

THE END.

A/N: I had a whole other ending planned, but decided it was too cliché. Then I decided it would be a much better ending if you get to fill it in for yourself. :P


End file.
